The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-11-02
SOUTHERN AGRICULTURAL.
EYES AND EARS.

greatly encouraged my hopes III
Southern farming. The crops from
Georgia throughout Tennessee. Vir-
cinia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey,
were tne--that is the corn crops.
Wheat and oats had been harvested
and reported good, and grass looked
luxuriant, meaning the grass pastures.
More anon about grass and stock.
We hear much about Northern farm
ing and thorough cultivation, but l
saw no corn on the whole route
from Georgia to New Jersey batter
cultivated than our crops are cultivat-
ed in Georgia, The culture seemed
the same, but as you proceed north
ward the thicker the corn was plant
ed; in some places it looked like
planted broadcast upon the ground
but all looked fine. After leaving
Georgia you see nothing but grain,
rrass and stock farms, and such
farms and farming look like living.
Grain, grass and stock in abundance.
saw no Jersey cattle after leaving
Georgia: all were of the large breeds.
and in Virginia the Durhams seem to
predominant; in Pennsylvania and
New jersey, Shorthorns and Dcvons
intcrmixcd. spent two weeks
in New Jersey, and never
saw better mixers and finer
butter made anywhere and in
great abundance l asked why they
did not have Jerseys. and they said
they referred the larger breeds OF
cattle, for they were good for milk,
good for butter, made good work ami
mails, and good for beef; they were a
cattle for general use which they
found more profitable than the Jer-
seys Iagrced thoroughly with them.
and could but think that in Georgia
the Jersey craze would result i'll time
in over-running the State with n pig
my breed of cattle fit only for butter
NV favOritc cattle were always the
Devons, for, for general Use, they
were unsurpassed and made the best
of all work animals, either in the
wagon or the plows, and would
keep in fine order even in Or
binary pastures. The Vcrmontcrs
are great stock-raiscrs. and they pride
themselves on their fine Morgan horses
and Devon cattle. There it was saw
the D,yons in their greatest perfe ction
and beauty. and that Is the cattle that
would do the Georgia farmers The most
! good. Bat cotton farms will never
raise or have fine stock. Grain and
grass and fine stock go together; cot
ton and scrub cattle arc one and insep-
arabic.
In Virginia l saw the largest num-
Der of cattle. The harvested fields OF
wheat and oats were pasIurcd with
large drove; of cattle, mares and colts,
and in some places with sheep, and
there l a'so noticed the largest
clover fields. In Pennsylvania and
New Jersey they farmcd more on the
truck order. Irish potatoes and cab
bages and ether vegetables and corn
and grass were their chief crops. In
all States where commerce and manu-.
featuring were the principal pursuits,
the greater tho demand for food crops,
and such in time will be the chief pur.
suits in the Piedmont range of NORTH
Alabama and North Georgia, wher
the farmers in those sections of coun
try will raise chiefly food crops.
noticed also at the North that progress;
and prosperity were confined TO tn;
towns and cities, like now doing in thu
South; there the wealth of country
had concentrated, and the rural poru
lalion was struggling rs best they
could. The farmers there. who were
dependent on farming for theil
support, were no better off than oul
! Southern farmers; It was hard work
TO make both ends meet. So in look,
ing around, and closely observing
every thing, l camo to this conclusion,
that the farmers of the South, taking
into consideration the advantages o1
climate and The greater variety OF
crops we could produce. that we had
all the advantages on our side, if we
would only Use the energy and in.
dustry that the Northern farmer:
used, and observe their systema,i,
economy. They waste nothing; every
thing on the farm that can be utilized
is uscl to advantage. even in making
their manures. and they never do Il!
we do, in depending on tho merchant!
to feed them and run their farms TO
them. The Northern farm
arc self-supporting, so fiji
as their food supplies arc con
ccrnctl, so what surplus they max,
is their own, be it small or large, an,
if the Southern farmers would adop
and pursue that course. and made only
ten TO twenty bales of cotton Gear
they would b; entirely Independent
aud live rs comfortable and bount;f 4
as any class of men. No pursuit OIL
earth. barring providential mishaps
could they be more the architect o
their own fortunes, than the farmer
could be, would they but farm ant
manage their own business as it shout,
be donc. economically aud usin:
proper industry, energy and pcrsc
verance, looking closely to all details
and if possible pay rs you go an
raise your own food supplies w
have the climate and the country if W
would only make the proper use of on
opportun ties and adyantages.-Joh,